Bosh's Slight Another Blow To Lowly Cleveland

Ouch.

Today’s news that Chris Bosh is going to sign with the Miami Heat to play alongside Dwyane Wade is yet another low blow to a city that has seen so many, it likely can’t feel them anymore.

In recent days, it became common knowledge that LeBron James was actively trying to recruit Bosh to play with him in Cleveland. It also became apparent that the Raptors were willing to accept a sign and trade offer from Cleveland for Bosh.

It was a deal that would have worked out for everyone. LeBron would have gotten to stay in his hometown while his team’s roster got a big time upgrade in Bosh.

Bosh would would have been able to get max money by signing a contract with the team that could pay him the most, the Raptors, only to be traded along with his contract to Cleveland to play alongside James.

The Raptors would have gotten at least something in return for Bosh. Cleveland likely offered tenacious 6th man Anderson Varejao and young up and comer JJ Hickson, along with Delonte West, whose contract would provide Toronto with some cap relief.

Yes, it would have been a homerun for everyone involved.

Only Chris Bosh didn’t see it that way.

As all this information was coming to light, another fact that was uncovered was that Bosh did not want to play in Cleveland.

He really, really didn’t want to play in Cleveland.

It had nothing to do with the Cavs organization which everyone in the league knows is top shelf. It had nothing to do with LeBron. It is common knowledge that Bosh wanted to play with “The King.” It definitely didn’t have anything to do with money. The sign and trade offer Cleveland presented to Toronto would have possibly  netted Bosh an extra 30 million dollars.

30.

Million.

Dollars.

Talk about a slap in the face. Bosh could be playing on a better team with the best player in the game for more money in Cleveland but instead has decided to take a massive pay cut to live in Miami.

Is Cleveland really that bad?

Ok, so maybe the lovely beaches of Lake Erie aren’t quite as nice as those in Miami, but for 30 million dollars Bosh could build his own beach.

In his back yard.

He could even pay to have a thousand heat lamps installed so he could lay on said beach the middle of the Cleveland winter.

Why is there so much venom in the sports world towards Cleveland, Ohio? I always see people rooting against Cleveland teams. I thought sports fans loved the underdog. What has Cleveland ever done to anyone?

The city went through some tough times. The river caught on fire, blah, blah, blah.  We know all this. Yet the city bounced back. They cleaned up downtown and the river.

What is the problem? Sure, it  isn’t the biggest city. It doesn’t have the beautiful skylines of Chicago or New York but few cities do. It is cold but so is Chicago.

Yet as far as sports cities go, Cleveland is fantastic. There are few cities and few fanbases that can compete with compete with Cleveland. It takes a very special person to be a life long Cleveland sports devotee.

Despite the fact that the city hasn’t seen a championship since 1964, Cleveland fans love their sports. When the evil Art Modell uprooted the historic Browns franchise and moved the team to Baltimore, Clevelander’s fought so hard that they had a new team and a new stadium in 2 years. Not only that but the city fought to retain the Browns naming rights and colors, this preserving the team’s history. The Browns never officially left the league, they were just inactive for two years. The Ravens were regarded as an expansion team.

By comparison, it took Baltimore 12 years to get themselves a new football team after the Colts left for Indianapolis in 1984 and even then, they only got it by making an alliance with a crook like Modell.

Clevelander’s are as devoted to their sports teams as any other fanbase in the country. It is easy to have rabid fans when your organization is a winner. It says something special about a city when they stick by their teams after nearly 50 years of failure and heartbreak.

Yet, insulting Cleveland, both the city and her sports teams is the popular thing to do. I am not sure why. There are likely few people alive who can remember seeing their team’s championship hopes derailed by one of those pesky Cleveland teams. There are no Cleveland dynasty’s to inspire the hate and venom directed towards teams such as the Cowboys, Steelers, Yankees, Patriots, Celtics and Lakers.

Maybe that is just how the world works. Maybe people love to pick on the little guy and kick him when he is down. Maybe,  if a city doesn’t have white sandy beaches, a pleasant climate or lots of bars and tall buildings it just isn’t worth living in.

Yet, through all the sports misery, the cold winters, the cheap jokes, potshots, departing superstars, 2 years of no football and one burning river, Clevander’s haven’t given up hope.

The city and it’s passion for sports will survive. Bosh or no Bosh. LeBron or no LeBron.

Me, I’d take Cleveland, snow and an extra 30 million  over Miami’s fair weather and fair weather fans any day.

All Cleveland is hoping LeBron James feels the same way.